A Fine Story Behind A Fine Sign Pen

Are you like me in which the attractiveness of my own signature is dependent on the quality and refinement of the pen I use? I asked this because I am impressed and enjoy using my present sign pen. Unfortunately, my present pen (pictured below) does not seem to have a label.

And it seems that I can no longer obtain the same pen in case the present one runs out of its ink. Reason being, I got this pen from a boy who sells various ball-points, markers and pen on a moving bus. If in New York subways there are young students who sells chocolates and snacks inside a moving train, here in the Philippines, there is a young boy who sells cheap sign pens and ballpens inside a moving bus.

On a public commute to the City of Manila from a weekend adventure in Villa Escudero in Quezon Province, a shy-looking young boy hopped up our bus and started distributing a note to all the passengers. The message indicated on the note states that the young lad is selling cheap ballpens and that the proceeds of his earnings shall be used for his schooling expenses.

I opted to buy one priced at twenty pesos (less than 40 cents in US$) and got to pick the green colored pen then return the note he handed earlier. My colleague MJ, on the other hand, actually handed 50 pesos (US$1) to the young dude after reading the note and opted not to get any pen. She however did not return the note the boy distributed and instead kept it inside her bag. She told me that she is to show the note to her daughter and tell her daughter about our encounter with this pleasant-looking young boy.

And every time I use this sign pen I am reminded that it was the most meaningful 20-peso spending I did that day.